The visors used in automobiles to protect the eyes of the driver and of the front seat passenger from direct sunlight or glare have undergone a substantial change over the years. What appears to be a simple device is actually a complex structure having a hardboard, fiberboard or molded plastic inner core which is covered with padding and then a decorative cover. A torque or visor pivot rod mechanism is also included for holding the visor in the stored position or to allow the visor to be set at the position which provides the preferred shade for the driver's or passenger's eyes, the use position.
In a typical visor, a molded plastic or hardboard frame is used to establish the overall configuration of the visor. In many cases, paper or thin cardboard, in what is called a butterfly configuration, is then folded over the plastic frame or hardboard. Foam padding is then glued to the paper butterfly and then the entire configuration is covered with a decorative material which is sewn in place about the edge of the visor. In some constructions, the foam padding has been placed underneath the paper butterfly with the decorative material being completely glued to the paper butterfly and wrapped around the padded core of the visor. The ear for the visor is formed using matching shaped portions of the thin paper or cardboard butterfly. A fold line is predetermined for each ear by forming overlapping perforated lines between each visor and ear section. The ear portions tended to break free in use leaving the ear limply supported by the decorative cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,990, issued Feb. 18, 1986, to Flowerday and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, is typical of the prior art visor construction. The patent discloses an automobile-type visor employing a molded plastic core. The edge of the upholstery material is fastened by adhesive about the edge of the molded plastic core and then the core is folded and fused to join the core halves together to additionally secure the edge portions of the decorative material by compressing the upholstery material around the periphery between the facing peripheral edges of the core halves.
When it was desired to have flexibility in the ear portions of the visor, a metal, wooden or fiberboard core was often used with a metal hinge connecting the ear portion and major portion of the core. The necessity to use a hinge member to provide flexibility to the ear portion of the visor added to the complexity and expense of the visor.
In all of the constructions of visors seen to date, a core member of some type has been used upon which the visor is assembled.